Detective work is a high-pressure but valuable career that makes a tangible impact on communities. To become a detective, you’ll need a degree, or significant policing experience (in some cases, both). After meeting basic eligibility requirements and entering the position, you’ll work on gaining experience in the variety of tasks detectives must handle, including collecting evidence, interviewing witness, testifying in court, and writing reports. Once you’ve got your feet wet, you can further your education and develop your skills through study and experience.

Steps

Method1

Meeting Basic Requirements

1

Browse your local police force’s website for entrance requirements. Check the website of the police force in your area to find out the eligibility requirements for signing up. If you can't find the information, call your local station's non-emergency number. Tell them you're interested in joining the force. You also be able to talk to police recruiters at a career day or job fair if there's one in your area.

2

Meet the eligibility requirements. You'll need to wait until you're at least the minimum age. Most likely, you'll need a high school diploma, if not a college degree. The basic expectations typically include things like:[1]

Be a citizen of the country you reside in. For some agencies, you must also reside in the geographic area you want to serve in.

Be above a minimum age, such as 18, 21, or 25.

Have a clean criminal record.

Hold a high school diploma or college degree.

3

Be in good physical and mental health. Being a detective is hard, often stressful work, and it can be taxing on your body and mind. To handle the job well, police agencies expect detectives to have:[2]

Excellent eyesight

Good overall health

No major physical or mental issues

4

Do not engage in risky, offensive, or illegal behavior. Detectives engage in high-level work, and are expected to have outstanding personal standards. As representatives of the law, they should be upstanding citizens. For instance:[3]

Detectives are expected to not use any illegal substances.

Many agencies do not allow detectives to have offensive tattoos, or any tattoos on their face.

Disciplinary actions on your record may make it difficult or impossible to become a detective.

5

Gain some experience as a police officer. Police academy teaches you about procedures, investigations, the use of force, and relationships with your community. This theoretical foundation ultimately helps prepare you for detective work, but the practical experience of actually serving as an officer is also very educational. After you’ve proven yourself as an officer, you may be a more attractive candidate for detective positions.[4]

Some agencies allow you to enter the force directly as a detective, without prior policing experience. However, you may be required to have a college degree in a relevant area, such as criminal justice.

6

Pass your detective examinations. Even if you are entering detective work with several years of policing experience, you will be asked to pass a series of exams when applying for the new job. Each police agency has its own set of examinations, and it will provide you with an exam schedule. These exams can be extensive, and take several days, if not longer. They include:[5]

A written test of your law-enforcement knowledge

A test of physical skill and stamina

A full background check

A psychological evaluation

Method2

Gaining Experience

1

Serve your probationary period. Typically, in your first several months to a year or more as a detective you will be mentored and monitored closely to help you transition into the new line of work. You may start out working relatively simple criminal cases, before moving on to ones involving violent, serious, or complex crimes. [6]

2

Master the day-to-day duties of a detective. Unlike their depictions on television, detectives spend most of their time researching cases and writing reports. They do also work cases on the ground and appear in court at times. Common duties include: [7]

Collecting evidence

Interviewing witnesses

Observing suspects, locations, and events

Obtaining warrants

Writing official reports to support or close cases

Testifying in court

3

Practice mindfulness. A detective needs to be highly observant and aware to do their job well. The ability to focus and to multi-task is key to solving many cases. If you find focusing difficult, you could try mindfulness exercises to help you discover how to “live in the now.”[8]

4

Wait for advancement opportunities. As you gain experience in working a variety of cases, opportunities for promotion may come your way. For example, you may be eligible for promotion to senior detective after a certain number of years of service. Do the best job you can, and let your superiors know that you are interested in advancement opportunities.[9]

Method3

Developing Your Skills

1

Develop your communication skills. Detective work, like other positions in law enforcement, is mostly about working with other people. Since cases can often involve serious and sometimes dangerous situations, it is important to know how to communicate clearly and calmly with others, and how to listen carefully. Knowing how to de-escalate situations by talking to others is also beneficial to detectives. [10]

Consider taking classes in interpersonal communication to further your skills in this area.

You can also ask your superiors to host a workshop where experts can come and talk to detectives about how to communicate well.

2

Further your education to increase advancement opportunities. Consider earning an advanced degree, such as a master’s in criminal justice, sociology, forensic science, or a similar area. Some programs are available online. Look for shorter-term educational opportunities, such as seminars or continuing education classes in these same areas. Advanced education may also may you eligible for pay increases.[11]

3

Develop specialized knowledge. Have specific skills, like knowing a foreign language or familiarity with cyber security, is a bonus as far as law enforcement agencies are concerned. If you already have skills like these, let your superiors know so that you can earn any associated pay increases or advancement opportunities.[12]

If you don’t have any specialized skills, consider taking classes to give you an edge.

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You would need permits and training. You also need work, perhaps for the government or something closely related. Don't give up though! If you really want to be one go ahead and look into it with research and seek advice from a careers counselor. You could also talk to real life detectives to ask how they became one and what the work is like.

Does gender matters in this type of career choice? What if a female wanted to work in the force?

wikiHow Contributor

No, gender does not matter in this or almost any career choice, at least in most developed countries. If your country is more restrictive of women, consider moving somewhere else to pursue your career.

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Anonymous

Oct 22, 2017

"It helped me understand the basic requirements to become a detective. I am young, and my one and only goal is to become the world's best detective. I've always been lawful, and I love justice. When I get older, I want to become the face of justice."..." more

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Anonymous

Jun 1, 2017

"I enjoyed the entire article. I am a writer who is considering going into detective work, and I thought that this was a clear, encouraging and informative piece of writing."..." more

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Meng Chu Xian

Nov 3, 2016

"This article has so much information for me to be a detective. To be a real detective, I need to get many important things."..." more